Well, you’ve got to stop staring at me like that. You’re gonna make it obvious.
Is it making you nervous, little one?
Cadence glances at me one more time over her shoulder, her eyes digging deeper and deeper into mine before she grins and then turns back around. I decide that I need to get out of here, because she’s right. I will make this obvious if I keep standing here, staring at her. But before I can lean off of the wall to take a step forward, I’m being tugged around the corner by a set of small, cold hands.
“Hey there, handsome.”
Ashley.
I roll my eyes. I really don’t have the patience for this right now. “What did I tell you, Ash?” I ask her. “You can’t keep acting like we’re together. I broke up with you months ago.”
She sighs, letting her shoulders drop dramatically as she feigns a look of sadness. Her blonde hair falls in her face as she pulls a strand from over her shoulder and twirls it between her fingers.
“I miss you, Z. And I really don’t understand why you broke up with me.”
“I think we both know exactly why I broke up with you,” I state firmly but cautious enough to keep my voice down. “And why I will never take you back.”
“It was a silly mistake. You know I won’t do it again. I said I was sorry. Come on. Don’t you miss me?” She pushes her bottom lip out, a gesture of pouting at me. But she should know by now that it won't work on me.
“No,” I tell her, giving her the honest truth. “I don’t, Ashley. So I’d really appreciate it if you’d just let it go and move on.”
I start to get uncomfortable with this situation, knowing that people are probably staring at us right now. The last thing I need is unwanted attention and rumors starting about me and my ex. I’m not a messy guy. But getting involved with her was definitely a messy decision. One that I truly regret.
I decide to do the best thing and just leave, but she stops me with a hand on my chest.
“Oh, you mean likeyouhave?”
“What are you talking about?” I groan, hating that I’m wasting my time even entertaining her antics, but then what she says next makes my blood boil.
“I see the way you look at Cadence. It’s kind of sick really. Isn’t she supposed to be like your little sister?”
Her tone is sour, like she’s being snotty on purpose, trying to get under my skin. Maybe even like she's jealous. Irritation scratches me as I look into her eyes, but I’m not going to give her the reaction she’s looking for.
“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” I say to her, hoping that she’ll just drop it, but it’s pointless.
“I’m not stupid, Zach. I can see the way you are when she’s in the room. And I get it, she’s a pretty girl. But isn’t that, like, I don’t know . . . breaking bro-code or something? I mean, does Brayden know you’re into his little sister?”
Fuck.Have I really been that obvious? Of course, I can’t let Ashley or anyone else believe that I’m into Cadence. Not that I truly care what anyone else thinks but that would be a disaster just waiting to happen. And quite frankly, it’s none of hers or anyone else’s business so I have to get her off my case. I knew breaking up with Ashley was going to be a problem, and I hate to say it but she’s pretty much as insecure as they come. So I say what I have to in order to hopefully get her to just drop the whole thing.
“I’m not into her. Just like you said, she’s like my kid sister. That would be weird, Ashley.” I wince internally when I think about what I just said knowing how harsh it sounds.
I’ve never really viewed Cadence as if she were my kid sister, despite what people might think. I might care for her as if she were my own family, and I might feel protective over her like she means as much to me. But that’s never truly been the case. It can’t be. Not when I look at her and everything seems to fall into place for a moment. Not when she consumes my thoughts the way she does.
Ashley smirks at me, but she doesn’t seem too convinced. I’m not sure if I really care to convince her otherwise, she’s going to believe what she wants but I don’t have time to say much else before another female voice chimes up behind me.
“Say cheese!” And before I know it, Ashley is wrapping her arms around my torso as she smiles toward the person standing in front of me, holding their phone camera in our direction.
Ashley’s friend, Carissa, snaps a photo of us and I groan when I realize that it’s likely to get posted on one of their Instagram stories soon. Just what I need. I politely unwrap Ashely’s hands from my waist and look at her. "For the record," I start. "I'm not into you, either. It's over Ashley. Please leave me alone," I tell her before I walk away, irritated as hell.
I don’t really know how to be mean to girls. It’s not something I would feel comfortable doing. Which is probably why Ashley keeps coming around, because I’m not being assertive enough. But I broke up with her months ago and I wish she would just move on.
We dated for about six months, unfortunately. It was something I kind of got pressured into doing, to be honest. When Brayden started noticing that I was zoning out more and he thought it had to do with school and football. I told him I was starting to feel the pressure of everything which was kind of true but really, I was actually starting to crush on his sister. It was becoming a problem. And at the time, Ashley kept trying to shoot her shot so as fucked up as it was, I knew that dating her would get the focus off of Cadence and that Brayden would stop bothering me about why I kept getting distracted.
It wasn’t supposed to last as long as it did. Hell, it wasn’t supposed to happen at all but I just didn’t know how to break it off with her, until finally she gave me a reason. I can't say I've ever been grateful I got cheated on, but in this instance, I didn't mind at all. I’m not proud of my decision to string Ashley along and I would have found a way to break it off with her eventually. I mean, I never really liked Ashley. And not only that, but I just felt numb to the idea of dating anyone. Giving my heart to anyone else just sounded like more heartbreak than anything.Another reason why I know that what I’m doing with Cadence is probably not a good idea. I just don’t know how to stop.
I make my way back through the house, needing to get some air. But unfortunately, the birthday boy spots me again and pulls me into the kitchen where he and a few of the guys are starting a game of beer-pong. He tries to get me to be his partner, but I decline. Opting to stand on the sidelines and watch these idiots make a fool out of themselves while I wait over here and stress about what the hell it is I’m doing with my life.
An hour flies by; Brayden and the boys are now out back throwing each other into the pool as others hang around and dance to the music while chatting amongst their groups. I haven’t seen Cadie since our little text exchange, and thankfully I haven’t had another run in with Ashley either. But my mood is starting to drop and my stress levels are starting to rise again. It never fails. I can’t seem to not think about the things that aren’t seeming to go right in my life—distractions can only last so long.
